Far from a straightforward pregnancy

Sheila Van Delft of Surrey with her daughter, Paige.Photo by
Submitted photo

Our story began more than 20 years ago, in the summer of 1991, with the excitement of a suspected pregnancy. My husband and I were two years married and this would be our first child. We are both from large families and looked forward to a house full of kids, so, hopes high, I went to our family doctor to have my suspicions confirmed.

But after an exam, a blood test and an ultrasound, the doctor gave me very sad news. Yes, I was pregnant, but unfortunately the baby had died in the womb. I was scheduled for a D&C.

I was devastated. I went to work and told a good friend and she was horrified and shocked. How could this doctor be sure? She insisted I go see her doctor in Vancouver.

Turns out, she saved my baby’s life. My new doctor did all the same tests and said, “There’s every reason to believe your baby is alive.” Another ultrasound confirmed it. We were overjoyed!

Having a doctor in Vancouver now meant our baby would be delivered in St. Paul’s Hospital.

Only we ended up there sooner than expected. In October, halfway through my pregnancy, I experienced severe back and belly pain and my husband rushed me to St. Paul’s emergency. I was admitted and an ultrasound showed the baby to be healthy, but the way it was lying was causing one of my kidneys to back up and with it came terrible pain.

The solution was simple enough: For the remainder of my pregnancy I must lie on my right side when sleeping.

St. Paul’s Hospital was old and creaky, but the staff treated me with great care. I tell everyone of the incredible respect that I have for the work of the nurses there. They do the most thankless and dirty jobs cheerfully and efficiently, making patients feel completely cared for.

Fast forward to February. I was due on the 18th but kind of hoped to have my baby on the 29th – leap day. The 29th came and went and soon I was two weeks overdue. Not good for baby. I went into St. Paul’s on Tuesday morning, March 3, to be induced. Funny, knowing your child’s birthday before she is even born.

Only our baby had other ideas. The doctor and staff did everything to help things along, but I was in labour all day Tuesday, all day Wednesday and our little bundle of joy didn’t arrive until 10 p.m. Thursday. By the time she was born, half the maternity staff was in the room to see this little person that had made us all wait so long.

But it wasn’t over. Because of my extended labour, Paige was in distress and had to be whisked off to the special care nursery for a few days. Once she was stable, and the IV was taken out of her head, she was all ours. The nurses carefully showed this first-time mom how to change, bathe and nurse her long-awaited baby.

Paige cried. A lot. Once, in the middle of the night, an angel in a nurse’s uniform arrived to swaddle and walk my cranky baby while, exhausted, I got some much-needed sleep. After five days of great care we both felt much better and were allowed to go home.

Only an organization like FIFA would expect a provincial government to sign a contract that FIFA’s bosses...

Vancouver Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.